Template for assembling strips of tire-chain material



Nov 1l, ISS: c. J. BURKLEY E1' AL 1,731,651

TEMI-LATE FOR ASSEMBLING STRIPS 0F TIRE CHAIN MATERIAL FiledV April 22; '1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR CZemenlBur/Gey; BY'ElmerG. /ymmJLc/L.

ATTORNEY Nov. 11,1930, QJ. Huffman-*AL 1378*651 TEMPLATE Fon ASSEMBILING s'TRIfs or T'Ilm @kiki-,MATERIAL Filed April 22, i927 2 Shtssffeat 2.

ATTOIR EY Patented Nov. .111, 1930 f UNITED ,CLEMENT .LBURKLEY'Aiv'nnLiviER'G. *KI-Misfiicii, or annoia-omo, AssIGNbRs To THE GooDYnAnfTIRE; e .RUBBER COMPANY, or AKR-N, oHIo, A conroimriioN or lOHIO TEMPLATE roniissnMBLING sTiilrPs or TIiiEscHI'N MATERIAL y l' Application inedk iiprii e2,

Our invention relates to4 anti-slipping deyvices vfor -vehicle wheels and it has for its object the provision` ofa 'novel method of` and appara-tus for manufacturing elements .of

that class of devices commonly known as tire chains.` f I f Devices of the above designated character comprise a pair of chains adapted to bedisposed `circumferentially adjacent eachy side of a wheel tire, and are connected by a plurality of tractive cross-members extending transversely of the tread of the tire.

Cross-members composed of resilient compound, such as rubber, have been proposed and are now being used in the construction of tire chains. This type oflresilient member is much less injurious to a tirecasing than the well-known all-metal anti-skid tire chains,

` and the rubberelenients wear Vlonger than drawings wherein:

those made of metal while providing equal or superior tractive characteristics.

Our invention is primarily directed to a practical method of making resilient crossmembers for tire chains wherein a number of elements are assembled `upon a building form or template and are subsequently vulcanized in a mold.

A preferred embodiment of our invention will be described in the following specification and is illustrated in the accompanying Fig. 1 is a plan view of a forni provided for use in assembling thevarious parts coin-l prising our improved tractive element;

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view, taken substantially along the line lil-II of Fig.1;

F ig..3 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of a tractive elementshowing tlie'initial stepv in the assembly of the components thereof;

' Fig. 4 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view showing the neXt succeeding step;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary cross-sectionall view illustrating the manner of applying fastening means to a tractive element;

1927, serial No.l 155,795. f o i Siantiaiiy aiong the iine viii-viii of Fig.

-7,`the coinplementalxportion of tlie mold noJ shown by Fig., 7 being added; and

Fig. 9;;is a .fragmentary plan view of a completed device lconstructed according to our invention. o

In practicing our. invention we provide a building form or template lOwhicli is preferably formed of metal and is 'provided with intersecting depressions or grooves 11 and 12, arranged in the forni of an elongate letterX.4V The corresponding ends ofthe depressions 11 and 12 terminate! in enlarged relativelyshallow depressions v13 and 14 respectively. The template 1() is also provided with upstaiiding flanges v15, 16,17, and 18, which intersect andare disposed atv right angles to the depressions 11. and 12 adjacent their extremities. The flanges 15, 16, 17 and 18arevpartially cut awayat their points of intersection-with the depressed portions 1l Aand 12 tol form curved recesses 19, 20, 21

and-22. i

Inibuilding o urimproved tractive element,

:rectangular strips ofl uncured rubber 24and 25 are cut to the desired lengthsand are successively placed ineach of the .depressions '.11 and 12 ofthe teiiiplatelO.l A strip of rubberized cord fabric 26 is superposed upon the rubber strip l24 before the, strip 25 is posi- Vtioned within the templatey 10, tic`al"strip'f26"is superpo-sed upon the strip 25 afterthe latter has been placed. inl the Itemplate;-V As best shown by Figs.` Sand 4, ,an additional relatively short reinforcing 4strip ofrubberized cord fabric 27 is applied to the fabric 26; at eachy pointof intersection of the flangesl, 16, 17 and 18,*withthe de- Apressions 11 and12. The corresponding ends f of the strips 24 and 25 abut` theouterborders o ofthe recesses v1,3 and 14 which are enlarged i in order to facilitate handling of the stripsfby a workman. An open chain ylink 28A compris ingaftriangular loop 29 and a hook 30 of U shape is then disposed in each of the recesses 19, 20, 21"aiid 22, the'ends Aof the superposed 'rubber A and fabric y'strips 24 and` 26 vhaving first been lthreadedthrough the triangular Y loo-ps 29 of links 28;.as indicated in Fig. 4. .The extremities; of'thestrips 24 and 26 are and an idenstrips'33 and 34'upon the memberjQ strip 32 at its'middle portion.-

Y Which-will presently become apparent.

now1 folded inwardly against-'themselves as shown in Fig. 5 and are securely held in position by the adhesive properties of the rub- `berized fabric 27. The ends of each strip 2li and 25 are treated in the same manner.

The'next step in the method consists in superposing an outer strip of uncured rubber `32 upon the strip Qfl and relatively shorter p n and abutting the The strips 39., upper surfaces with `thickened central ribs 35 and 36, as shovvn in Fig. 6, the purpose of 33 and 34 are provided on their After the elements are thus assembled they vare. placed in a vulcanizing mold 37, shown in Figs. 7 and 8, Which'comprises upper and i lower ycomplemental sections 38 and 39.

Sie

V.These sections 38` and 39 in assembled relation provide a cavityfl() of cruciform configuration adapted Vto receive the article preformed upon thertemplate l0, and they also provide cavities `42 adapted to receive the hooks 30 during the vulcanization process. Grooves 43 formed in section 39 and dispo-sed adjacent the main cavity 40, are 'adapted to receive overflow or excess rubber which may be pressed out during the molding operation,

thethickened upper ribs of rubber 35 and 36 Y providing ample stock to fill tread depresv sions la andto completely encase the cord Y 'closingthe hooks 30 thereabout. The chain thus assembled is adapted to be applied to automobile Wheels to;perform its function of preventing skidding and affordingadditional traction.

Although We have'illustratedfbut a single form Whichour invention may'assume and have described in detail butr one application to aid in the proper positioning of the anchoring means.

2. A template for assembling strips of tire chain material having anchoring means at the ends comprising a central portion `having intersecting grooves therein, `and abutments bordering the grooves at equal distances from the point of intersection thereof, the abutments beino' adapted to aidinfthe properpositioning o Vthe anchoring means.

3. A template for assembling strips of tire chain material having anchoring means at its ends, comprising a central portion having an elongate groove, therein, and abutments extending transversely of the groove adjacent y the ends of the latter, the abutments being adapted to aid in the proper positioning of the anchoring means.

, In Witness whereof, We have hereunto signed our names. Q

Signed at Akron, in the county of Summit,

and State of Ohio, this 21st day of April,

Y CLEMENT J. BURKLEY.-

ELMER G. KIMMICH.

los

thereof, it will be apparent to those skilled i i the spirit of theinvention or from the scope in the artthat the invention is not so limited but Vthat various jmodifications and changes may be made therein Without departing from ofthe appended claims.

.What We claim is:

l.l A template for assembling strips of tire chain material having anchoring means at the ends comprising a central portion having grooves extending transversely thereof, and raised. portions extending transversely rtoward the grooves and having abutments adj acent Vthereto,the abutments being` adapted 

